Bills · HR 4681
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 4681Rural conditions and developmentHealth personnel
SPARC Act
INTRO JUL 23· LAST ACTION JUL 23
READING
6MIN
COSPONSORS
5
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenMany rural areas struggle to attract and retain doctors, especially those who specialize in fields like cardiology, oncology, or orthopedics. This means people living in these communities often have to travel far distances, sometimes hundreds of miles, to see a specialist, which can be a huge burden on their time, finances, and health.
This bill matters because it tries to fix this problem by making it more appealing for specialty doctors and other medical providers to set up practice in these underserved rural areas. If passed, it could lead to better healthcare access and outcomes for millions of rural Americans by bringing specialized care closer to home. If it doesn't pass, these rural healthcare shortages are likely to continue or worsen, maintaining the current disparities in healthcare access between urban and rural populations.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Establishes a loan repayment program for specialty medicine physicians who agree to work in rural communities experiencing a shortage of such physicians.
This directly addresses the shortage of specialists in rural areas by incentivizing doctors to practice where they are most needed, improving access to specialized care.
PROVISION 02
Allows, at the discretion of the Secretary, a similar loan repayment program for non-physician specialty health care providers for a six-year service commitment in rural shortage areas.
This expands the potential workforce that could address rural specialty care shortages, recognizing the role of other skilled professionals in healthcare delivery.
PROVISION 03
Requires a six-year full-time service commitment in an eligible rural community for participants to receive loan repayments, with a maximum repayment of $250,000 per individual.
The long-term commitment aims to provide stable access to specialty care in these communities, while the cap limits the program's overall cost per participant.
PROVISION 04
Prohibits participants from receiving benefits from this program concurrently with other federally supported loan forgiveness or repayment programs for the same service.
This prevents 'double-dipping' and ensures that federal funds are used efficiently across different programs.
PROVISION 05
Requires regular reports to Congress on the program's impact, including practice locations of participants and the effect on specialty care availability in rural areas.
This ensures ongoing oversight and evaluation of the program's effectiveness in achieving its stated goals.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 5
R· Pennsylvania
YRS IN OFFICE
7
BILLS LED
25
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 40%
DEM 4 REP 1 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSJUL 23
Introduced in House
JUL 23
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 4681
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedJul 23, 2025
Last actionJul 23, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JUL 23, 2025
House BillHR 4681Rural conditions and developmentHealth personnel
SPARC Act
INTRODUCED JUL 23, 2025· LAST ACTION JUL 23, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
6 min
COSPONSORS
5
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
